Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to inflatable vehicular safety restraints such as airbag installations for automotive vehicles and, more particularly, to inflatable vehicular safety restraint assemblies such as particularly suited in or for the protection of a seated vehicle occupant in the event of the occurrence of a side impact or collision.
Discussion of Related Art
The use of side airbag cushions is widespread in present day automotive technology. Typically, a side airbag cushion is stored or located in an inner side structure or in a backrest of a seat of a vehicle and, in the event of an impact or collision helps to protect an occupant, especially the thorax of an occupant, during a side impact or collision.
In at least selected applications, it may be desirable to incorporate a feature or features that desirably facilitates direction of inflation gas from an inflator or other inflation gas supplying device into an airbag cushion to effect the desired inflation of the airbag cushion. Further, it is known to incorporate or include one or more tethers within an airbag cushion such as to more specifically control or direct deployment of the airbag cushion. As will be appreciated, the inclusion of such features can desirably improve either or both side airbag cushion operation and performance.
Thus, with the more widespread usage and incorporation of side airbag cushions there is a growing need and demand for improved side airbag cushion designs and manufacture such as can desirably achieve one or more of improved utilization of materials such as improved utilization of fabric materials commonly utilized in airbag cushion manufacture and/or improved manufacture or production such as by simplifying the manufacturing process and/or facilitating the incorporation of features such for improved inflation gas flow control and airbag cushion deployment control.